Humboldt supervisors move to remove Measure S tax provisions from county code

EUREKA, Calif. — The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors on Jan. 27 introduced an ordinance to remove the county code provisions that implemented Measure S, the county's cannabis excise tax approved by voters in 2016.

Deputy CAO Sean Quincy told the board the measure of record had been effectively set to a zero rate last year and that staff is proposing to repeal the chapter of county code that contains the tax provisions while leaving a short placeholder so future boards and members of the public can more easily find the history of the tax.

Supervisor John Madrone asked whether the board could legally "repeal" a voter‑approved initiative. "I had always understood that only the citizens could actually repeal this because it was a citizens‑based initiative," Madrone said. County staff replied that the board could repeal the county code chapter while the underlying voter initiative remains on the record; removing the chapter would make the code consistent with the board's direction to relieve cultivators of the excise tax until or unless the board reenacts provisions.

Supervisor Bone moved to accept staff's recommendation and Supervisor Royal seconded. The board approved the motion by unanimous consent; minutes show the motion carried 4–0 with Supervisor Bushnell recusing from the item. Staff asked to set the ordinance for adoption on Feb. 10.

Supporters of repeal, including Ross Gordon of the Humboldt County Growers Alliance, told the board removing the tax reflects persistent market changes and financial strain on local cultivators.

The board did not adopt the ordinance at the Jan. 27 meeting; it introduced the ordinance and set a date for formal adoption.